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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068590">Well. It’s not an attack fennec fox, that’s for sure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/parchmentandpencils/pseuds/parchmentandpencils'>parchmentandpencils</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Nevermoor Series - Jessica Townsend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Baby, Fluff, Multi, hehe, poly 919 owns my heart, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:09:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,076</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/parchmentandpencils/pseuds/parchmentandpencils</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I suck at summaries but also THEY HAVE A CHILD NOW I LOVE HER SHE LIVES IN MY HEAD RENT FREE</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poly 919 - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Well. It’s not an attack fennec fox, that’s for sure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was late July when the baby was left on the doorstep. Cadence opened the door to mewling wails from a moving basket, and she furrowed her brow in confusion and picked up the basket, unable to figure out what kind of bread was able to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she peeled back the blanket and almost dropped the basket, staring into it in shock as the baby cried harder. Definitely not bread.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she’d recovered, she automatically reached into it to soothe the child, fascinated to see how the cries stopped almost immediately. Cadence raised an eyebrow and placed the basket on the sofa, removing the baby and taking it upstairs to see if they had any more sheets she could use as a hammock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For once, Cadence was glad they had so many spare curtain poles from the times that Hawthorne and Francis had burned down the curtains and they had to get new ones. They’d all come with curtain poles. So now Lam and Anah sparred loudly every day. At least now they couldn’t, as they had a kid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d talked about kids a few times in the past, but not as young as the baby in her arms. Cadence frowned down at the snuffling bundle in her arms briefly and went back to searching. There was definitely one sheet here…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spied a neon pink sheet from a terrible tie-dye job courtesy of Mahir, grabbed it, and pulled. She pulled a little too hard and they both fell backwards onto the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crap!” Cadence cursed loudly, then clapped a hand over her mouth. What if the child’s first word was </span>
  <em>
    <span>crap</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Lam would murder her. Come to think of it, so would Arch. The others would probably not care. Ah well. Cadence trailed the sheet behind her as they went downstairs again. She put the baby back in the basket, wincing as it stirred, and then got to work constructing a hammock.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Cadence was glad that she’d chosen a flexible career, as mesmerists were only needed sometimes, so most of the time she wasn’t. She peeked at the baby who was peacefully sleeping once more and placed her in the makeshift hammock, grimacing at the thought of it falling. She sprinted to the small chest she’d dragged down from the attic to reminisce on her lovers’ childhoods and removed a couple of items of clothing she could dress the baby in, as well as a few toys it could use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. She hadn’t even looked in the basket yet properly, as she was more preoccupied with making sure the baby was calm. Ah. How clichéd for there to be a note.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To whoever finds this note,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I apologise for dumping my daughter on your doorstep. Her father didn’t want a child and my parents didn’t want a grandchild just yet, so I gave birth to her a few days ago and took her to a place I know she’d be accepted. I’ve watched all nine of you and I know you’d be perfect for her. She doesn’t have a name, but I’m hoping you give her one.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A well-wisher</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cadence’s jaw dropped a little and she picked their new daughter out of the sheet and held her close. And then she heard voices outside. The others. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Mind whirring, she put the baby back in the hammock and went to go and greet her loves.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Uh, I have something to tell you guys,” Cadence said, twisting her hands nervously and looking generally apprehensive of their potential replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t adopted another attack fennec fox have you?” Thaddea asked, eyes wide with fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But really, how was a child different from an attack fennec fox?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you leaving us for Miss Cheery and Roshni?” This time it was Arch, and Cadence burst into hysterical laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morrigan eyed her nervously. “Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’re okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Hawthorne asked at the same time. Morrigan glared at him. “Sorry, sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I may have sorta kinda taken in a child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, you what now?” The question was repeated by eight people at the same time, all in varying degrees of shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I uh. Come and take a look.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cadence darted inside as they all threatened to trample her by the way they started running.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Of course Lam had gotten there first. She was reaching into the handmade cradle-hammock and lifting out their new daughter, whose face was pink and splotchy from rubbing it with her fists. She was also crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fu- I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’d forgotten something,” Cadence almost yelled, racing into the kitchen to try and find a baby bottle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or she tried to. Anah caught her arm and gave her a firm kiss before guiding her into a chair, while Mahir strode into the kitchen to try and find a baby bottle. Or milk. Either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HEY FRANCIS CAN YOU GO GET A BOTTLE AND SOME FORMULA?!” Mahir screeched from the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Francis groaned at the prospect of going out, that is until Thaddea linked arms with him and went with him too. The door slammed shut and Morrigan slipped behind Cadence and started massaging her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>stressed, you know,” Cadence grinned. “We’ve had a-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice trailed off into a muffled sigh as Morrigan worked her magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but can I not massage my girlfriend’s shoulders?” Cadence imagined her raised eyebrow and smiled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Half a bottle of formula later, they were all sat around the fireplace, the baby wriggling on a mat Francis and Thaddea had found in the shop while they were hunting down supplies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Lam began, planting a kiss on a surprised Hawthorne’s forehead, “names?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently this was the cue to begin, as Arch and Hawthorne began throwing names about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Frances!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jocelyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Margaret!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Roshni!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marina!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thaddea Junior!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thadd</span>
  <em>
    <span>eus!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Paximus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sagittarius!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alethea!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maud!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barbara!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this point, Morrigan slapped a hand over Arch’s mouth and Anah slapped a hand over Hawthorne’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t speak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No more input from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anah and Morrigan shared a grin before Francis piped up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marina </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a nice name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus, she’s gay, and everyone here is like. bi,” Thaddea said. “Although, Thaddea Jr…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>naming the baby after you, love,” Cadence said cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marina is a pretty name,” Mahir murmured. “It suits her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arch and Hawthorne high-fived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So is her name just. Marina Blackburn-Crow-Fitzwilliam-Ibrahim-Kahlo-Macleod-Ra-Swift-Tate?” Morrigan asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” came eight simultaneous replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel so sorry for her.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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